Reversing-switch.



H. A. LEWIS.

REVERSING SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22. 191 l.

1,155,157. PatentedSept. 28, 1915.

F i 52 54 J 2 7% mv TQR ATTORNEY 1 UNI ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY A. IQEWIS, OF NQRRISTOWN PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB T WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPA Y, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA.

REVERSING-SWITCH.

Application filed Kay 22, 1911. Serial No. 628,735.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, HARRY A.-Lnw1s, a citizen of theUnited States, and a resident of Norristown, in the county of Montgomery andState of Pennsylvania, have invented a new'and useful Improvement in Reversing- Switches, of which the following is a specification. Q

My invention relates to electric circuit switching devices and controllers and it has special reference to reversing or'directional switches which are adapted to govern the direction of rotation of electric motors.

The object of my invention is to provide a device of the class above indicated that shall be simple and durable in construction and that shall embody specially advantageous stationary switch contact members.

It has been my aim to produce a reversing switch or controller which may easily be mounted upon a switchboard panel and comprise particularly simple and durable moving parts.

In order to accomplish these results without impairing the operating'characteristics of the device, I provide stationarv switch contact members comprising a sliding carbon brush which makes contact first as the switch is closed and is disengaged from the moving contact member last as the switch is opened and a laminatedbrush contact member which carries the current under normal conditions.

The. laminated brush contact member is reversible in its socket whereby its life may be materially prolonged, and the frame or holder for the brush contact member and the carbon contact brush is so mounted upon outwardly proiecting studs that it may be easily removed and replaced.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a diagrammatic view of a control system em bodying the reversing switch of my invention which is shown in a partially sectional elevation. Figs. 2 and 3 are, respectively a front elevation, partially in section, and a side view ofthe stationary switch contact member constructed in accordance with my invention and forming a part of the revers ing switch of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings. electric current is supplied from any suitable source of energy through conductors 1 and 2 to an elec-' tric motor 3 having an armature 4 and a field magnet winding 5. The acceleration Specification of Iletters latent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1915.

of the motor is governed by resistor sections 6, 7, 8 and 9 and magnet switches 10 and 11, and the direction of motor rotation is determined by a reversing switch 12 and a master switch 13.

The reversing switch 12 comprises a pair of contact-bearing arms 14 and 15 that are Divotally mounted, intermediate their ends, upon pins or studs 16 and 17 which extend outwardly from an insulating slab or base 18, actuating electromagnets 19 and 20 and stationary contact members 21, 22, 23 and 24.

The arms 14 and 15 operate synchronously by reason of a link 25 that is pivotally connected to the arms at points 26 and 27 which are at opposite sides of the pins 16 and 17 and are equally spaced therefrom. Movable contact members 28 and 29 are secured to corresponding ends of the respective arms vThe electro-magnet 20 is similar to the magnet 19 but its movable core members 33 and 34 are pivotally connected to the lower ends of the arms 14, while the core members 31 y and 32 of the magnet 19 are pivotally connected to the arms at corresponding points on the opposite sides of the pins 16 and 17.

The stationary contact members 21 to 24 are substantally alike. the members 21 and 22 being associated with the movable contact member 28 and the members 23 and 24 being associated with the movable contact member 29. One of the stationary contact members is shown on a larger scale in Figs. 2 and 3, to which reference ma now be had.

The contact member here shown comprises a current-conducting arm or body member 35 having transverse holes 36 and 37 of unequal size, a hollow rectangular projection 38constituting a box in w ich a carbon brush 39 is located and a laminated brush contact member 40 which is secured to the arm 35 by means of a clamp 41. The carbon brush 39 is provided with a cross pin 42 which limit-s its movement in the box 38 in one direction, and a pressure finger 43, which is pivotally mounted on the arm 35 and is forced against one end of the carbon brush by means of springs 44. The pin 42 is so placed that the contact end of the brush 39 is materially beyond the contact end of the able contact members.

By makingthe studs and the holes in the arms of unequal size, it is difficult to im-' properly mount the contact members on the switchboard, while, atthe same time, the

contact members may all be made inter changeable.

The accelerating switches 10 and 11 may be of any suitable structure and form no part of my present invention. Those illustrated constitute the subject-matter. of my co-pending application, Serial No. 628,733, filed of even date herewith. l

The operation of the reversing switch may best be explained in connection with the control system as a whole, and, assuming that the parts occupy positions shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, if master switch 13 is moved to the left into circuit closing position a, a circuit will 'be established from lineiconductor 1 throughconductor 47, one blade of master switch 13, conductor 48, coil of electro-magnet.20, conductor 49, the other blade of mas- .ter switch 13and conductor to opposite line conductor 2. When energized, the electronagn'et 20 draws the lower ends of the reversing switch arms 14 and 15 toward eachother and moves the contact members 28 and 29 in opposite directions into engagement with the stationary contact members 21 and'24. The motor circuit is then established from line conductor 1, through conductor 51, field magnet winding 5 of motor 3, conductor 52, contactmembers 21 and 28, conductor 53, armature 4 of motor 3, contact members 29 and Q24, conductor 54, series coils 56 and .57 of magnet switches 10 and 11, resistor sections 6, 7-, 8 and 9,- and conductor to'line conductor The characteristics of the switches 10 and 11 are such as to automatically delaytheir action and cause them to gradually operate to successively short circuit the resistor sections 6, 7, 8 and 9. If the master switch 13 is moved tothe right into circuit closing position, the coil 30. gized, instead of'the corresponding coil of the magnet 20. Underthese conditions, the contact members 28 and 29 will be moved toward each other into engagement with stationary contact members22 and 23 and the of magnet 19 is ener-' motor circuit will be established as before,

except that the current will traverse the motor armature 4 in the opposite direction. When the contact member 28, for example, moves into engagement with the stationary contact member 21',- it first -makes contact with carbon brush 39 and forces it backwardly in opposition to the spring44 and finallv engages the brush contact member 40.

hen the coils of the-reversing switch'magnets are deenergized, thearms-14 and 15 will be returned to the intermediate position in which they are shown in Fig. 1 oi the drawings, by means of centering springs 58. In the separation of the stationary and movable contact members, since the movable 38, the circuit is interrupted between the contact members 28 and 39. In order to reduce the arcs at this point, blow-out magnets or some other" suitable means may be employed, but as these devices are well'kno'wn in the art, and form no part of my'present invention, I deem it unnecessary l to illustrate them.

My invention is not limited to the specific details illustrated in thedrawing, and ,I desire that only such'limitation's shall be imclaim.

I claim as my invention:

A reversing switchcomprising two sets of stationary Contact members, a pair of pivposed as are indicated in the appended otally mounted" arms having contact members, means for insuring'synchronous operation ofsaid arm's,centering means for the movable arms, an electro-magnet for moving the arms toward each other to effect engagement of their contact members with one set of stationary contact members, and an electro-m'agnet for moving said arms away from each other to effect engagement of their contact members with the second set of stationary contact members.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 17th day'of May, 1911.

. HARRY A. LEWIS.

Witnesses.

G. CARROLL Hoovnn, R. W. MCGARREY. 

